Russia’s powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gained a predictable first-round victory at the country’s presidential election on March 4 by garnering more than 60 percent of the vote.

The results of the presidential elections in Russia cannot but concern Armenia, as Russia is the main military and strategic partner of Armenia and a crucial factor for the country’s national security.

Clashes between protesters and security forces took place on Thursday in Azerbaijan’s city of Quba, 170 kilometers north of capital Baku.

About 10,000 people gathered in front of the local government office, demanding the resignation of local leader Rauf Khabibov. Armored vehicles and water cannons were brought into the region.

Analysts have recently given more attention to the prospect of resumption of active hostilities on the Karabakh front. Azerbaijan is typically cast as the likely initiator.

On the one hand, there is an understanding that Azerbaijan cannot be truly and seriously interested in war, as resuming it would threaten the activities of oil and gas pipelines passing in a close vicinity of the line of contact. Destruction would deprive Azerbaijan of the main basis of its economic development and investments.

The Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) has stated its support for Russia’s powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is currently a candidate in the March 4 presidential election.

The statement was delivered during a February 26 event held at one of Moscow’s largest concert halls. The UAR-organized event was attended by invited guests from the Armenian Diaspora, as well as other ethnic and youth organizations from Moscow and regions of Russia.

In the South Caucasus just near the volatile Middle East and Gulf region, countries are engaged in active muscle play. The most debated issue among local experts is whether a war in Iran would spread to the greater region as well. The discourse is taking place in conditions of continuing saber-rattling by Azerbaijan that does not conceal its aggressive designs against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

The tensions in the countries of the Muslim world are reaching the borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization leading CSTO to develop a new strategic policy. First of all, it’s about Syria and the situation around Iran.

By mid March CSTO's Secretary General Nikolay Borduyzha will be visiting Yerevan to discuss and reconcile strategic documents, such as the Concept Paper for CSTO’s Development, Collective Security Strategy and Strategic Planning System.

During a February 21 international video conference secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha made some sensational statements concerning possible intervention in the internal affairs of member countries, as well as in the Karabakh conflict. The official said that Russia intends to play a more active role in Armenia and Karabakh through the CSTO.

Tehran is accusing Azerbaijan of complicity in Zionism and allowing Israeli intelligence to use Azeri territory to penetrate Iran. Last week a note of protest was handed to the Azeri ambassador in Tehran in this connection.

As Islamic Republic News Agency reports, “strong protest was expressed to the Azeri ambassador over the fact that terrorist elements complicit in the murder of Iranian scientists transferred through the Republic of Azerbaijan and due to the support of Mossad Israel’s intelligence [Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations] were able to freely travel to Tel-Aviv”.

A diplomatic scandal is emerging between Armenia’s immediate neighbors, Azerbaijan and Iran, with a potential to entail unpredictable consequences for the entire region.

On February 12, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Tehran Javanshir Akhundov was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry where he was handed a note of protest with the demand “to stop anti-Iranian activities of Israeli special services in the territory of Azerbaijan.”

The preliminary data on the 2011 census made public recently by the National Statistical Service state that as of October 12 last year there were 2,871,509 people who actually live in Armenia. The number of registered citizens makes 3.2 million, however some 400,000 simply aren’t here.